This topic will evolve over time as I add more info to help your flights using FlyNET.

FlyNET is a way of enhancing your flying by bringing economics into the frame. Anyone can start a VA and build up a network of routes and a fleet of aircraft. Routes have to be chosen and aircraft have to be leased or purchased. Each VA is given an initial donation of v$25 million 'start-up' money. It is then up to the management to make sure the VA grows. When a FLIGHTPLAN (route) is entered into the system, the system calculates a 'standard' fare for the route and VA's can vary the fare as they wish. BUT, the higher the price, you may not get any passengers. To fly with our VA here, first you will need to register and then join the VA. See the 'Recruitment' thread here http://www.cbfsim.co.uk/cbfs_bb/viewtopic.php?t=5690

The Client programme

This is the programme that interfaces between FS9 and the FlyNET website. You will need this running in the background when you fly. There are two versions of the software. One WITH 'anti-cheat' and one WITHOUT 'anti-cheat'. There would appear to be instances of false cheating reports with the 'anti-cheat' version. To avoid having problems yourself, download and instal the version WITHOUT 'anticheat'. You can get the client programme from here :- http://www.fsairlines.net

edit : 24thAugust2006. With release of Client version 0.5.9b there is only one version which has no 'anticheat' functions.

There are several things which affect the prosperity of the VA :-

VA Reputation

All VA's start with a factor of 80 which can rise to max 120

Ticket price

A standard price is set by the programme but you can change it at will. If you set it too high, passengers won't travel with you and your flights will not be full

Pilot Performance

Each flight has a post flight critique. Only a few thngs here that will affect your pilot rating :-

So, if the ticket price is fare, the reputation is good and the pilot is good, you will have full loads.

Post flight, your financial analysis is displayed. This will give you a breakdown of revenue (pax x ticket price_ less costs of fuel/catering/wages plus bonuses for 1 - 4x time compression. No bonuses for above 4x time compression. This will then give you a profit for the flight. This profit then hass a factor applied to it depending on the value of the VA. Max 1000x down to 100x I think. Currently the VA is on 200x.

Time Compression

Time compression is allowed but bonuses are paid if you use no or low time compression. The lower the time compression you use, the higher the bonus.

8x and above = No bonus
4x = 5% bonus
2x = 10% bonus
1x = 20% bonus

Aircraft maintenance

Each aircraft fresh out of the hangar will have a status of 100%. When you start a flight this will immediately drop to 99.9% and then the % reduces depending on your descent rate at touchdown. The higher the descent rate, the higher impact on the post flight % status of the aircraft. This encourages nice landings.

Inbuilt Failure System

There is an inbuilt 'random' aircraft failure system. A random failure CAN appear at any time. The possibility of a system failure increases if an aircraft is poorly maintained. Current failures you may experience are Engine failures, flap failures and undercarriage failures. (Correct at version 0.5.9b)

Aircraft 'TYPE RATINGS'

Before you can fly an aircraft on FlyNET you have to be given an aircraft 'TYPE RATING' for the specific aircraft you wish to fly. Your choice of flight bookings will only include those aircraft on which you are type rated. Type ratings are awarded and withdrawn by the CEO.

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A few RULES for you to try and stick to

AIRCRAFT OPERATION

PLEASE try and make sure you can comfortably and competently operate your aircraft before you ask for a 'TYPE RATING' on a particular aircraft. DO NOT ASK for a rating until you are ready! Practise offline on one particluar route with a climb to and descent from FL200 (20,000ft) avoiding the errors that will reduce your pilot rating :-

Aircraft Status

At various places on FlyNET you will see the status of aircraft stated as a percentage. This refers to its state of maintenance. At present it is currently linked to the aircraft descent rate at touchdown. Whatever the descent rate is reported at the end of the flight, this is translated into a % reduction drop. Depending at what percentage we perform maintenance dictates the downtime and also the cost. There is a huge jump in cost between an A check and a B check. I wouldn't like to hazard a guess what the C and D check costs.

A-Check: 100-95% ; 1 day (costs 3% of aircraft valuation)
B-Check: 95-75% ; 3 days (costs 20% of aircraft valuation
C-Check: 75-40% ; 7 days (costs not known, but we don't want to be here)
D-Check: 40-0% ; 14 days (costs not known, but we don't want to be here)

To avoid long downtime and also minimise costs, all our aircraft maintenance will be performed before the aircraft status drops to below 95% so Do not use an aircraft if it's status is below 96%. A take-off at 96% should keep us above 95% as long as you make a reasonable landing at destination

Taxi speed

Maximum GROUNDSPEED of 25kts. If you have any sort of wind component this can catch you out. If you are taxiing at 25kts as indicated by FS9 'red text' with a 10kt tailwind, your groundspeed will be 35Kts ! An instant -5% pilot ranking penalty

There is currently no facility for diversions or refuelling stops. If you land at an airfield other than your intended destination this will effectively be a non-revenue flight, passengers will have to be compensated and expenses will still have to be paid x whatever multiplyer we are on at the time. Potentially this is very expensive. Also........

-15% pilot ranking penalty

So...........You taxi too fast to the runway, take-off without your landing lights on, exceed 250 kts in the climb below 10,000ft, accidentally switch your landing lights on whilst in the cruise, forget to switch your landing lights on as you pass through 10,000ft in the descent, exceeded 250kts below 10,000ft because you didn't plan your descent properlyand to top it all, whilst trying to make sure a passenger caught an onward connection you were caught speeding whilst taxiing to the gate. Hang on where are all the other aircraft? Damn, you've landed at the wrong airport !

Heavens forbid if you had such a bad day, but if you did your performance on that flight would be a very lowly 50% !!!

Crashes

Don't !

-50% pilot ranking penalty plus damaged VA reputation

All these personal ranking penalties are cumulative. What I mean is, if you get some 100% flights under your belt, a 95% flight will only have a small reduction to your ranking. So if you did 4 flights with 100% performance followed by a flight where you get 95%, your overall ranking will only drop to 99%

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Booking a flight

When you are happy operating your aircraft and you have your type rating, you are now in a position to 'Book Flight'.

To be able to book a flight you must be able to satisfy 2 things

1.You are at an airport where there is an available aircraft on which you are type rated.
2. There must be an available Flightplan/Route for that aircraft.

When you click on 'Book Flight', a list of available flights will be displayed. Seclect the one you want to fly by hitting the 'green tick'. Next you will be given a choice of aircraft to select if there are more than one of that type available at the airport. Select which one you want to use. The next page will show a line of numbers, which when deciphered is the load factor x airline reputation x seating capacity of aircraft x pilot ranking. The next page will give you an option to look at the Briefing document or cancel the flight. This booking is yours for 24 hours. If you cancel or don't fly the booking within 24 hours you will personally have to compensate the passengers from yuor own funds. Please don't book a flight unless you are sure you are going to fly it and please do not book more than 2 hours in advance - someone else might want to use the aircraft

The briefing document will tell you how many passengers and cargo you have plus a zero fuel weight. Make a note of the zero fuel weight so when you come to refuel your aircraft you don't go overweight.

Flying a booked flight

You can refer back to the briefing document at any time. If you try and book another flight it will tell you you already have a flight booked and again give you the option to cancel or view the briefing document.

Start FS9, choose your aircraft, choose your airport/gate, choose your weather and time of day - I would suggest you start with clear weather in daylight until you are comfortable with FlyNET operation.LEAVE YOUR GAME UNPAUSED and then minimise it so you can start the client programme. You can of course start the client programme in readiness prior to starting FS9 if you wish. Once you are logged on to FlyNET, you have a menu bar to 'Show Booked Flight, Fly Booked Flight or EXIT.
Click on the 'Fly Booked Flight', the client programme will check FS9 to see if the aircraft and location correspond to the booked flight. If there is a discepancy it will tell you. If there is no discrepancy you will be given a refuelling option. The numbers displayed, will be the current fuel state of the aircraft. If you wish to accept the current fuel state just click 'refuel', or if you wish to add fuel, type in the TOTAL fuel that you wish to have onboard the aircraft at the ramp. You are now ready for departure.
When you go back to FS9, unlesss you have an APU running on your aircraft, all will be quiet. The Client programme stops your engines at the start of each flight. So, start your engines and off you. go.

When you reach your destination, taxi to the gate, or pull onto a taxiway and apply the parking brake. Application of the parking brake post-landing is the Client programme's 'trigger' to acknowledge a flight has ended. Minimise your FS9 and observe the main client programme display page. Wait until the flight summary has been displayed and then click the 'end flight' button. Thats it !

You can then go FlyNET, log in and go to our VA summary and you can look at your flight report there - so can everyone else so there's no hiding anything :roll:

Round trip flights if possible please

If we have pilots queuing up for aircraft and you leave it at an airport 'somewhere in Europe', someone may have to buy a ticket to go fetch it! Try and make return trips if possible, at least until we have a decent fleet size.

Rgds

John

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Last edited by RAF_Quantum on 28 Aug 2006, 20:48, edited 12 times in total.

DispatchDragon wrote:Curious as to why it would be problematic - its part of the sterile cockpit check - or should be

Ding the trolley dollies out of their seats
landing lights out
increase climb to best rate/250kias
check pressurization
start chatting and reading the Financial times

Leif

I was conserned about how close we had to be, if you got dinged if the landing lights were switched above 10,000.001 ft or below 9,999.999 ft that would be problematic. How ever if as RAF_Quantum suggests its +/- 1000 ft, that would not be so bad.

Chris Trott wrote:Hey now, I'm one of the DB Admins over there so don't start cheating on the flights. The idea is to take the penalties as you're given them and then work hard to fix your reputation.

I'll be watching.... :tuttut:

Point taken, it was intended as a frustration buster for beginners. I can take a penalty on the chin. I even submitted my lost '384.out' for landing at the wrong airport. Damn, I was tired - I had selected the wrong flight by mistake and lost a cool v$34.5million. DOH !

Also Chris, whilst you are 'here' can we submit a list of aircraft to you for the database or do we have to input each one through the site ?